NSE - Nuclear Science & Engineering at MIT

JOBS

NSE Job Listings

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Fission Faculty Position

The Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering (NSE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, is a world leader in the generation, control and application of nuclear reactions and radiation for the benefit of society and the environment.  NSE faculty educate and conduct research in fields from fundamental nuclear science to practical applications of nuclear technology in energy, security and quantum engineering.  More details about the Department can be found at the Department website.

We are seeking candidates for faculty positions to start July 1, 2025, or on a mutually agreed date thereafter. We welcome exceptional applicants broadly engaged in nuclear science and engineering, especially those pursuing nuclear fission reactor design for off-grid applications, risk- and economics-based fission reactor design or advanced sensor technologies for fission reactor applications. The search is for candidates to be hired at the assistant professor level; under special circumstances, however, an untenured associate or senior faculty appointment is possible, commensurate with experience. Applications will be accepted starting November 15, 2024.

While we welcome applications from a wide range of disciplines, a commitment to excel in teaching in the Department is essential. Faculty duties will include teaching courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels, advising students, conducting original scholarly research, and developing course materials at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Applicants must have earned a doctorate in Nuclear Science and Engineering or a related Engineering or Scientific field by the start of employment, and must have demonstrated excellence in research and scholarship in a relevant technical field. Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check, including possible verification of any finding of misconduct (or pending investigation) from prior employers.

Applications are to be submitted electronically at the faculty search website. Each application must include: a curriculum vitae, a two-page strategic statement of research interests, a one-page statement of teaching interests, and electronic copies of no more than three representative publications. Each candidate should also include the names and contact information for three or more references. If a candidate is requested to proceed beyond the initial application phase, their letter writers will need to submit their letter by a deadline that will be specified at the appropriate point in the application review process.

Recognizing MIT’s strong commitment to diversity in education, research and practice, minorities and women are especially encouraged to apply.

Applications received before December 15, 2024 will be given priority.

MIT is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We value diversity and strongly encourage applications from individuals from all identities and background. All qualified applicants will receive equitable consideration for employment based on their experience and qualifications and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin. See MIT’s full policy on Nondiscrimination. Know your rights.


Communication Lab Manager / Lecturer

NSE is searching for a Communication Lab Manager/Communications Specialist role (60%) and Lecturer (40%).

The NSE Communication Lab is a peer-coaching program that builds students’ and postdocs’ written, oral, and visual communication skills in the nuclear field. As manager, this individual works closely with department leadership and collaborates with the wider interdepartmental Communication Lab team at MIT. This position also plays a key role in overall department communications management and strategy.

As Lecturer, the position manages the NSE Seminar course (22.911, 22.912), and supports faculty with their integrated communication curriculum.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions**)

The Communication Lab Manager/Communications Specialist (60%) will

  • Recruit, train, and supervise 6-10 Nuclear Science and Engineering Communication Fellows (NSE graduate students and postdocs serving as peer coaches) as they provide peer coaching and communication support for the department; mentor the Fellows as they meet learning milestones and deadlines, and support them in producing exemplary work; assign grades when Fellows participate in Communication Lab activities for course credit (22.93).
  • Design and execute a creative outreach strategy for the Lab to ensure client flow and awareness of services: design and distribute marketing materials; deliver informational talks and pitches; disseminate resources; collaborate with faculty, students/postdocs, and academic programs to identify needs and propose solutions; collect and analyze lab data to help the team make program decisions and evaluate its effectiveness.
  • Provide direct educational support; work with NSE’s faculty to develop instructional materials that teach the rhetorical principles of written, oral, and visual communication; evaluate and respond to student writing and speaking in a variety of contexts, including individual conferences and small-group peer workshops; manage relationships with clients across campus—students of all levels, faculty, administrators.
  • Identify learning opportunities and develop new programs based on NSE-specific communication needs; maintain current initiatives such as NSE PHinisheD (a community of doctoral thesis writers); assist with thesis prospectus preparation; coordinate support for presenters at NSE’s annual research expo.
  • Serve on the larger interdepartmental Communication Lab team with the Director, departmental Program Managers, and Communication Instructors to align NSE’s strategic and operational plans with the overall program’s vision and goals.  
  • Collaborate with the Communication Lab program administrator and NSE support staff to ensure the lab’s administrative needs are met, including financial support of Fellows, materials, maintenance of Communication Lab website and coaching schedule, and budget.
  • In addition, this position will be part of the team managing internal and external department communications, including:

  • Work with staff to establish and enforce consistent standards for the NSE web sites. Approve changes and updates, initiate changes where needed, and generally oversee the internal and external web sites to ensure consistency and high quality.
  • In cooperation with appropriate staff, maintain our various contact lists. Ensure they are properly used and secured, and that updates are made efficiently.
  • Contribute to development of the short- and long-term communication strategy in the department.
  • As part of a team, make changes in implementation of the web sites. Contribute to solving problems, adding features, and making the NSE web site a tool for faculty and staff to use for information gathering and workflow.
  • Bring new content to the web site and other outlets, leveraging this position’s daily student involvement to help the department communications team to tell our stories and highlight NSE’s accomplishments.

The Lecturer* (40%) will

  • Lead the graduate communication courses (22.911, 22.912) in the Fall and Spring semester; develop lectures related to oral communications, abstract preparation, poster presentations; provide feedback and evaluations; maintain Canvas website.
  • Collaborate with a program assistant to organize events related to the graduate communication requirements.
  • The Lecturer position is a 1-year term appointment with the possibility of annual renewal based on performance and course needs.

Supervision Received:

Supervision is provided formally by the NSE Department Head and functionally by the Communication Lab Senior Program Manager.

Supervision Exercised:

Instructor will supervise approximately 6-10 graduate student and postdoc Communication Fellows and may train and coordinate work of other office support staff, student employees and/or temporary staff.

Qualifications & Skills

REQUIRED

  • Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Communications, Science, or Education.
  • A minimum of three years of scientific communication training, coaching, and workshop leadership. 
  • Experience with instructional and assignment design, oral communication instruction, or visual rhetoric.
  • Extraordinary technical communication skills—oral, written and visual design
  • Ability to give and receive constructive feedback to students, fellows and peers
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively with faculty, students, and administrative staff; a team player
  • Ability to solve problems creatively and plan strategically.
  • Ability to analyze data and use the resulting information to assess the lab’s impact
  • Strategic, creative thinking; strong sense of initiative in designing and implementing projects.
  • Experience in project management, event coordination, or similar.
  • Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
  • Sensitivity to organizational dynamics and ability to collaborate with colleagues

PREFERRED

  • PhD Degree in a science or engineering field
  • Proven ability to produce technical content
  • Supervisory experience, specifically with student workers

Apply on MIT Careers website

                                                                                                                     

Faculty Positions

The Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering (NSE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, is a world leader in the generation, control and application of nuclear reactions and radiation for the benefit of society and the environment. NSE faculty educate and conduct research in fields from fundamental nuclear science to practical applications of nuclear technology in energy, security and quantum engineering. More details about the department can be found on our website.

We are seeking candidates for faculty positions starting July 1, 2025, or on a mutually agreed date thereafter. We welcome exceptional applicants broadly engaged in nuclear science and engineering, especially those pursuing theoretical, computational or experimental research in the area of fusion energy. The search is for candidates to be hired at the assistant professor level; under special circumstances, however, an untenured associate or senior faculty appointment is possible, commensurate with experience. Applications will be accepted starting September 1, 2024.

While we welcome applications from a wide range of disciplines, a commitment to excel in teaching in the Department is essential. Faculty duties will include teaching courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels, advising students, conducting original scholarly research, and developing course materials at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Applicants must have earned a doctorate in nuclear science and engineering or a related engineering or scientific field by the start of employment, and must have demonstrated excellence in research and scholarship in a relevant technical field. Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check, including possible verification of any finding of misconduct (or pending investigation) from prior employers.

Applications are to be submitted electronically here. Each application must include: a curriculum vitae, a two-page strategic statement of research interests, a one-page statement of teaching interests, and electronic copies of no more than three representative publications. Each candidate should also include the names and contact information for three or more references. If a candidate is invited to proceed beyond the initial application phase, their letter writers will need to submit their letter by a deadline that will be specified at the appropriate point in the application review process.

Recognizing MIT’s strong commitment to diversity in education, research and practice, minorities and women are especially encouraged to apply.

Applications received before December 20, 2024 will be given priority.

MIT is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We value diversity and strongly encourage applications from individuals from all identities and background. All qualified applicants will receive equitable consideration for employment based on their experience and qualifications and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin. See MIT’s full policy on Nondiscrimination. Know your rights.

                                                                                                                      

Postdoctoral Associate

Postdoctoral research scholar to enhance understanding of the climactic effects of limited nuclear wars by studying the fundamentals of how large-scale fires are initiated by nuclear explosions, their probability of their occurring, and the expected soot loading produced by such fires.

This is a full-time position The position is for one year, renewable for up to one additional year pending satisfactory performance. Salary is $80,000/year. The scholar is expected to work in residence at MIT.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions):
Responsibilities include:

  • Carry out literature reviews of existing work, identifying key disagreements and their origins.
  • Research soot generation in limited nuclear wars, including through the use of code for modelling large-scale fires; validate findings against published research; analyze data to find to reach novel conclusions.
  • Summarize research results and present findings at lab meetings and externally, including to both technical and policy audiences.
  • Draft at least one technical paper for submission to a peer-reviewed journal and one book chapter to summarize key findings for a policy audience.
  • Perform other related duties as required, including work performed at lower levels, when necessary.

Qualifications & Skills:

REQUIRED A doctoral degree in a relevant quantitative technical discipline (Physics, Applied Mathematics, Engineering, Environmental Science); practical experience of coding and numerical modelling; proven ability to craft research agenda, review and analyze the existing literature, and synthesize research findings; superb command of English, both written and spoken, with a demonstrated ability to structure complex technical documents and write clear and precise prose.

PREFERRED Experience in modelling large-scale fires; knowledge of nuclear weapons and their effects; experience with knowledge transfer in a public-policy setting; knowledge of the LaTeX typesetting language.

Apply on MIT Careers website

MIT is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin. See MIT’s full policy on Nondiscrimination here

                                                                                                                           

Jobs at the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center

The MIT Plasma Science & Fusion Center is hiring innovative, motivated, and qualified individuals to execute its mission of accelerating the development of fusion energy. A leader in fusion research, the PSFC is an idea meritocracy with a tradition of relentless innovation and lively, engaging technical discussions.The PSFC is seeking outstanding individuals with a track record of excellence across a wide variety of areas to join its team: technicians, machinists, designers, engineers (mechanical, electrical, power, cryogenic, nuclear), physicists, fiscal officers, and support staff. Successful candidates will work with a stellar team of students, scientists, engineers, and staff on one of the most challenging and important problems facing humanity: the delivery of clean, sustainable, and societal-scale energy on a timeline to combat global climate change.

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